30th July 1941

Stark left us and I walked back to Marble Arch whilst chatting to Pearl. She told me more about her life 1930-40. Poor girl, she has been very brave and continues to be. During the afternoon Suzy Witherington, the 2nd in age, came to visit. She is the only one of the 4 sisters who is married and has a baby. She married a Scot and lived in Paris. Got back to Slough – gone midnight. That’ll teach me to go out with a young woman. Are you jealous dearest?

It describes some cost-effective methods to protect your fragile, unique and often valuable pieces when sending them all over the world. Postal services and couriers are often unwilling to properly insure antiques and collectables, so good protective packing is very important for anyone selling antiques online, for your customer’s satisfaction and your piece of mind. A must read guide for those looking to start posting antiques.

For those who don’t know, Rob is Parade Antique’s packing sage. He once blew a bubble using fairy liquid and water, packed it and sent it to the moon. It arrived unharmed.

27th July 1941

Guy Wingate is now married to an English woman after breaking his engagement in France. Clear sky outside, ideal bombing weather, if the Germans knew. They haven’t been over for several weeks (10 to be exact). We do not forget them however, every night two large German towns get some of our medicine, not counting canals, railways and not forgetting their shipping.

Working in an Antiques Shop (or any shop), you are obliged to talk to the customers, conversation rarely progresses beyond the pleasantries, or The Weather for that matter. Every conversation concerns The Weather. In Britain, it seems that The Weather is so ingrained in our psyche that ones thoughts and sentiments rarely stretch past it. The result is: that for the large part, words are already pre-packed and ready to go – that convenient line: “rubbish weather today…” is always there, should we need to use it. And we almost always do.

25th July 1941 (Continued)

The news on the radio is, the continuous bombing of the French front, the stop of the German advance in Russia and the sinking of an Italian convoy in the Mediterranean. The Japanese have seized bases in Indochina and the Vichy government disgusts me more and more. Soon, I suppose, Japan will attack Russia soon and then the USA will enter the fray.

24th July 1940 (continued)

Return to Gloucester and then to Hereford. I’m busy with the Poles, and they are great guys. Full of life and desperate for battle. Admirable bravery. I remember them from France, always on the attack. According to a report they are “fighting mad”.

24th July 1940

To my wife, London, 24th July 1940 – It was reading the story in the ‘Readers Digest’, July 1940, “A Little at a Time” by John Erskine, that I decided to write this book. Since my arrival in England, several of my friends have started (and some continued with) a diary.

I disembarked in Falmouth 19th June 1940, covered in a blanket and shoeless.